A good smile makes a great first impression and having the smile you always wanted can boost your self confidence enormously. Fortunately, technological advances in dentistry mean smile realignment and cosmetic dentistry are now part of the smorgasbord of treatments offered by many clinics, and provide fast and efficient routes to achieving the smile you desire.

Known as the ‘king of smiles’, Dr Richard Marques is one of the UK’s leading celebrity dentists and says that in 2019 subtle tweaks are ever popular. “We are leaning towards a more natural look for the teeth – a Duchess of Sussex smile is what many of my clients are often asking for,” Richard explains.

Richard also says there is a move away from the Hollywood, super-white gleam towards a more natural looking aesthetic. “People are becoming more patient with results so many will decide to opt for straightening, whitening and aesthetic reshaping as an alternative option to the quicker fix (veneers).”

Clear on Veneers

A veneer is a thin wafer of porcelain that is permanently bonded to a tooth to give a new shape or colour. While it is a more immediate option, the process is extensive and more like cosmetic surgery for teeth and involves some tooth filing (usually minimal) before the veneer application. While many celebrities have the rather TOWIE-esque full set of veneers, clients can opt to just place veneers on a few teeth; especially handy for chipped or stained teeth. Local anaesthesia is required when undergoing a veneer application and if properly maintained, veneers can last from 15 to 20 years.

A new alternative to veneers is bonding, which typically uses resin rather than porcelain and can be used over the whole teeth or just on the edges of the teeth to shape them or in between teeth to close gaps. Cheaper and quicker, there is minimal or no drilling involved in tooth bonding unlike with veneers, but tooth bonds are not as long lasting.

Straight to the Point

Improvements in ‘invisible’ braces technology such as Invisalign and lingual braces (behind the teeth) means a straight smile is quicker to achieve and less painful today.

Invisalign uses a system of almost invisible clear plastic trays that fit snugly over your own teeth. Every week, the trays are changed to be tighter in certain spots, resulting in the teeth moving as a reaction to the gentle pressure. The trays are all made in advance, negating the need for regular trips to the dentist. Simple cases can take three or four months, while the average treatment time is nine months. One great advantage is tooth-whitening procedures can be done at the same time as many modern brace technology including Invisalign.

Fill Us In

As you age, the skin’s elasticity decreases, often leading to sagging. As this can be especially prominent around the jowl, neck and mouth, new treatments are on the market to stop the sagging.

While fillers have generally been associated with lips and wrinkles – with dermal fillers (small injections of gel, typically consisting of hyaluronic acid) giving a plumping result, thus making lips look fuller and lines less pronounced – dermal fillers around the jaw can also help to contour and mask the jowl by defining the jawline.

For those who want fuller lips or perhaps have always desired a defined cupids bow, permanent make up now allows clients to contour their lips, and redefine the natural shape and border, which can diminish over time. A popular option is a 3D lip blush, which redefines and evens out the lip border and adds a wash of custom-blended colour to the lips without an obvious border. This treatment leaves lips looking fuller and more youthful without the need for lipstick.

The good news across the board is that the innovations in cosmetic and regular dentistry are coming thick and fast, meaning there is now a huge amount of choice for consumers wanting to perfect, tweak or maintain their smile. 